Sir Mo Farah is ready to push himself to the limit once again as he prepares to bring the curtain down on his glittering career with a penultimate race on home soil in the Great Manchester Run 10K on Sunday.
Farah completed a final London Marathon last month, finishing ninth in just over two hours and 10 minutes.
The 40-year-old will be back on the roads around Manchester this weekend before one last wave goodbye through the streets of Tyneside at the Great North Run half marathon on September 10.
Britain’s greatest distance runner – a double Olympic champion over 5,000m and 10,000m in both London and Rio to add to his six world titles – admits it will be an emotional send-off, but one which Farah intends to savour every moment of.
“I have had amazing career, there is nothing that I would change over the years and now finally that I have come to the end of it, I just have to enjoy the moment on Sunday and then get ready for the next one in September,” Farah told the PA news agency.
“When your mind’s telling you that you can do good, but your body is not allowing you to, that is the most hardest thing – but you have got to be honest to yourself.
“It is just about seeing what my body can do. This such an amazing race with great crowds and elite athletes on the start line.
“It is not going to be an easy race, but at the same time, I am never going to go, ‘well, I will take it easy’, because you always try your best.”
Farah, who last raced the Manchester event in 2018, voiced a series of guest Metrolink announcements which have been played on trams across the city ahead of Sunday’s race.
“I have taken part in the Great Manchester run before so I am just looking forward to it again,” he said.
“Hopefully (I will) finish the race and celebrate with the crowd, with people who have given me amazing support over the years,” he said.
Earlier in May, Farah collected a Bafta TV award for his BBC One documentary, which revealed he had been illegally trafficked to the UK as a child.
Farah hopes his journey from such difficult beginnings to Olympic glory can to help inspire the next generation of potential champions.
“I would like to give back to the younger generation and get involved in the grassroots and show kids particularly what is possible through hard work and dedication,” he said.
“I will miss winning medals for your country, you will always miss that, and I have had amazing support from everyone, but I can’t see myself stop running.
“I will stop running as (an) elite (athlete), but I think I will always be taking part in Great Manchester 10K, the Great North Run and for charities, the London Marathon – you will always see me out running because that is what I love.”
